The Connection
by Jennifish
Summary: After everyone has grown too busy to be together all the time, some of Joey's regrets come to the surface. After years of sadness, Joey will finally find someone who he can actually share his sadness with.


Joey Tribiani was restless yet another night. This was becoming a horrible habit. You'd think he'd be happier, considering he just scored a threesome with two super hot bikini models. However, Joey still wasn't happy. Nothing in his life felt quite right. Everything has been falling apart, since all of his friends seperated. Sure, Ross, Rachel, and Phoebe met up with him at central perk once a week for coffee, but it's not the same. Central Perk was under new management, and the owners are real jerks. The last time everybody was together for longer than a few hours was Ross and Rachels "real" wedding, six months ago. Pretty soon though, those rare moments would begin to dwindle away. Phoebe got pregnant with Mike's child just after Monica and Chandler moved away. She's due anyday now, and Rachel is about five months pregnant with her and Ross' second child. Monica and Chandler attempt to come up to visit about once a month, but with the twins and the rising gas prices, that was becoming hard to continue.

Nothing in Joey's life was familiar anymore. After Chandler moved, Joey eventually did as well. He couldn't keep up with the rent payments alone, so he moved across town to a one bedroom apartment that had the wonderful view of a brick wall. His acting jobs were becoming harder and harder to find. However, the jobs that he did get, still paid enough money for him to make it by. After an very long conversation with Ross at the coffee house, Joey decided that it would be for the better that he get a part time job to help him with his finances in between jobs. Currently, he is the cashier at the giant Toys R Us in times square, sure it's a bit of a drive in traffic, but it's money. Even his sex life was starting suffer, the models were the first ladies he's had in over two months. Women his age are looking for longstanding relationships and men they can spend the rest of their lives with, not Joey's two week stands.

Everything in his life was changing, even Joey. Recently, he's been lonely and longing for an actual relationship. The stupid one night stands, weren't cutting it for him anymore. Ever since everyone moved, Joey wanted a constant in his life, he wanted a family. Regrets from the past have been surfacing recently as well. These regrets are something he would only share with the woman he loves more than anything.

Also, ever since 9/11 happened, Joey thought it best to stay away from that side of Manhattan. None of his friends knew, but a few of his childhood buddies, Zack, Chad, and Christopher were both in the buildings at the time of the attack. Zack and Chad made it home to their growing families, but Christopher was on the 108th floor, there was no way for him to make it out. Joey didn't even go to the funeral or console Christopher's widowed wife, Tammy, and his newborn baby girl. Today was September 12, 2005. Christopher was pronounced missing/dead on the 13th. Tomorrow, Joey decided, he'd go to the world trade centers and finally pay his respects. On that note, Joey finally drifted to sleep.

NEXT DAY

After both of his model friends said goodbye, Joey stopped at the coffeehouse for a coffee to go and set off to ground zero. Half way there however, Joey turned around and drove to the nearest florist. He intended on purchasing two mixed bouquets and going on his way. One to put on the memorial, and the other to give as an apology to Tammy for not being there when she needed somone. He didn't exactly plan on running into anyone at the store. "Hey Joey!" A familiar voice called just as he was leaving the shop.  
" Uh, hi Pheebs, what are you doing here?" " Oh, you know, just buying some flowers. Who are those for, Joey?" Phoebe said pointing at the two bouquets.  
" They are for...umm..uhh...Astelle. I got these for Astelle's grave." Joey lied unconvincingly.  
" Okay, give her respect for me, see ya."

Whew, that was a close one. Joey thought. Even though, Joey and Phoebe had been friends for years, he didn't feel quite comfortable telling her about Christopher. Chandler didn't even know, and he was with Joey when the towers crashed. Joey was very private about those things, he didn't like making others around him unhappy. That's why he made jokes all the time, to lighten the sadness in the room. Anything sad, Joey had to deal with alone, it was just easier that way.

About ten minutes later, Joey reached the desolate land. Talk of rebuilding a new trade center was beginning, but no actual construction had began. Almost as soon as Joey got out of the car, his eyes filled with tears. You could just feel the sadness in the air, it was like this area was still under a cloud of dark sadness, which it will always be. Very slowly, he made his way to the memorial. Joey let the sounds of sobbing mothers, fathers, friends, and children overcome him, at least here he could cry in the open. It wasn't weird, he couldn't make anyone sadder, and this definitely wasn't the time or place for a joke. When he reached the memorial wall, he found Christophers name and placed the bouquet and just stared blankly at the wall. He walked backwards until he reached a bench, and there he lost it. The grief of everyone around him was contagious, plus the memories were unbearable as well. He sat in this very spot nearly 23 years ago on a school field trip, right next to Chris.

Before he left, he scanned the wall one more time, said a silent prayer and farewell in his head, and started to walk towards his car. However, when he looked back, he saw one very pregnant blonde woman sobbing at the wall. She was alone, and obviously needed a hug. When she showed her profile, Joey instantly knew, that the woman was none other then Phoebe. He hurried over, and helped her up off the ground. Joey led Phoebe to the same bench he previously sat on, and let her cry into his shoulder and just comforted her until her wails turned to silent tears.

"Those flowers weren't really for Astelle, were they?" Phoebe asked.  
" No, they were for an old friend of mine, who passed away on that awful day." Joey said sadly.  
" I had no idea you lost someone, after all this time, you grieved alone. Why didn't you say something?"  
" I didn't want to add more sadness to the day. That's not really my thing, it was easier for me to stay quiet."  
The two sat in silence before Joey said something.

" This probably sounds like a stupid question, but why are you here Pheebs?"  
" My cousin was here that day. He was on the 108th floor, so he was trapped. He left behind a wife and newborn daughter." Phoebe said as she began to cry again.  
" What was your cousin's name?" Joey asked.  
" Christopher Jones." " Oh my gosh." Joey said, as he too let the tears fall again.  
" Did you know him or something?"  
" Pheebs, Christopher was my best friend, he's why I'm here."

No one said anything else as they sat on the bench. Both friends just held eachother and cried. Phoebe went with Joey to Tammy's, then just went back to Joey's apartment, where they dealt with the sadness together. Who would have thought that after all this time of suffering in silence, and feeling like they had to deal with it alone, the entire time all Phoebe and Joey needed was each other.


End file.
